Description: Think hot chocolate is just a cozy winter treat Think again This drink has survived wars sparked religious drama and fueled explorers So here are 13 things you definitely didn't know about hot chocolate first it's ancient The Olmecs were drinking it around 1700 BCE no sugar just cacao and water The Mayans and Aztecs took it bitter lukewarm and with chilies Sweet Not until the Spanish dumped in sugar and cinnamon Hot chocolate was once considered medicine Aztec warriors drank it before battle and Montezuma II supposedly downed 50 cups a day It even got locked away by Spanish monks for being too tempting Here's the drama In 16th century Europe Catholics couldn't decide if hot chocolate was food or drink Pope Gregory XIII said it was fine for fasting but some clerics banned it anyway Imagine arguing about cocoa at church In 17th century England hot chocolate was served in gold and porcelain pitchers at elite chocolate houses Revolutionary War soldiers got it in their rations sometimes instead of pay Thomas Jefferson was obsessed predicting chocolate would beat tea and coffee in America Modern twist: There's a difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa Thank Dutch chemist Coenraad J van Houten for cocoa powder in 1827 Explorers survived on cocoa and the YMCA handed it out to World War I soldiers Today restaurants spike it with chili or rum The largest cup ever Over 1,200 gallons in Mexico 2018 So leaders want to make history Lead with warmth Fund the next cocoa upgrade Like comment and follow for more wild facts.